Fuel additive and method for use for combustion enhancement and emission reduction

ABSTRACT

A fuel additive is disclosed which comprises a suspension of nanoparticle oxides in a fuel miscible liquid carrier, which suspension may be colloidal or otherwise. Methods for enhancing combustion and fuel economy and reducing emissions by employing said fuel additive are also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application61/054,670, filed May 20, 2008.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of fuel additives comprising oxidenanomaterials and methods for improving fuel economy and reducingemissions by use of said additive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Due to the need to increase the efficiency of automobile fuel, manytypes of devices and additives have been developed over the years. InBeijing, China (Beijing Yuantong Corporation Ltd) nano-fuel technologyhas been developed which requires an “ESP” device to be installed in anautomobile. This ESP device reportedly converts ordinary fuel completelyinto nano-fuel, thereby reducing the tail gas of the automobile by morethan 50 percent and saving fuel consumption by more than 20 percent.

In most cases, it is preferable to increase fuel efficiency usingexisting automobile equipment. Fuel additives reported in the past havehad some impact on increasing such efficiency, but there is a continuingneed for improved fuel additives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a Graph depicting the effect of the fuel additive of theinvention on emissions and fuel economy.

FIGS. 2A-2B depict a UIP-1000 device that can be used to make thesubject fuel additive.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for making a fuel additiveaccording to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a sonication process which may be usedin making the subject fuel additive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is for a fuel additive which when added to liquidfuel streams of internal and external combustion engines provides formore complete combustion of the fuel by 10-30% without the need forspecialized devices or equipment. The fuel additive enables lowerinternal combustion temperatures; reduced emissions of unburned fuel,reduced emissions of oxides of nitrogen, and reduced emission of carbonmonoxide. Further, the fuel additive lowers both the size and quantityof particulate emissions. Further benefits of the invention includereduced internal wear to the engine resulting in a longer service lifeand reduced maintenance costs and a reduction in the carbon accumulationrate in the combustion chamber. Use of the invention will likelydecrease net operating costs, increase the useful life of the engine,and reduce exhaust emissions.

The fuel additive comprises a colloidal or other suspension ofnanoparticles comprising metal oxides, for example, oxides of iron,cerium, copper, magnesium and zinc and combinations thereof. Preferably,all of these oxides are employed in combination; however combinations ofzinc oxide and magnesium oxide, preferably with another oxide selectedfrom cerium, copper and iron oxide comprise an alternative embodiment.Other oxides could be used that have useful temperatures at which theycontribute oxygen to the reaction and then reabsorb it as the combustionchamber of an internal combustion engine cools. Without wishing to bebound by any theory, it is believed that the oxides in combination withthe blended carrier scavenge water from the fuel system, utilizing theoxygen component to increase combustion efficiency.

The nanoparticle oxides are commercially available. One commercialsource is Nanophase Technology Corporation (Romeoville, Ill.)

The fuel additive preferably comprises a metal oxide component and acarrier component. In the metal oxide component which is about 10 to 20%by weight of the additive, preferably zinc oxide is employed in anamount of 70 to 80% by weight, magnesium oxide in an amount of 10 to 30%by weight, cerium oxide in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight, copper oxide1 to 5% and ferric oxide 1 to 5% by weight. A preferred exemplaryembodiment is a combination of zinc, magnesium and cerium oxides in thefollowing proportion by weight: 75%, 23% and 2%. The remainder of thefuel additive is a fuel miscible liquid preferably a combination ofpropylene glycol n butyl ether (PnB) and diethylene glycol monomethylether (DM) in a preferred ratio of 90:10 by weight.

A preferred embodiment contemplates that the metal oxide used will haveextremely small average particle sizes (less than 100 nm; preferablyless than 50 nm). As the average particle size decreases, the specificsurface area (typically expressed as square meters per gram,) increasesdramatically. This causes the material to stay in suspension evenlythroughout the liquid phase of the hydrocarbon fuel, as well as in thevapor phase. Further, the small particle size affords the preferredembodiment the ability to react rapidly during the combustion phasecontributing oxygen to the combustion reaction, thereby increasing itsefficiency.

The colloidal or other suspension is preferably made by ultrasonicmixing of the oxides in a carrier liquid, which produces superioruniformity of the suspension. A procedure for ultrasonic mixing isdescribed in Ultrasonic Production of Nano-Size Dispersions andEmulsions by Thomas Hielscher (Dr. Hielscher GmbH, Warthestrasse 21,14513 Teltow, Germany, (ENS'05 Paris, France, 14-16 Dec. 2005). Thecarrier liquid can be any fuel miscible liquid. Preferably the fuelmiscible liquid is comparatively less toxic than the fuel and has aflash point above 60 degrees Celsius. Preferred fuel miscible liquidsare ethylene glycols, propylene glycol n butyl ether (PnB) anddiethylene glycol monomethyl ether (DM). It is preferred to choose afuel miscible liquid which is exempted from most hazardous materialsregulations in order to allow the product to be shipped as non-regulatedmaterial.

An example of an ultrasonic mixing technique suitable for the inventionfollows. One may employ an ultrasonic mixing apparatus (also known as asonicator), such as model UIP-1000 from Hielscher GmbH, Warthestrasse21, 14513 Teltow, Germany. The ultrasonic mixing apparatus preferablycomprises a sonication chamber connected to an amplification hornattached to an ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic generator. Thesonication chamber receives a pre-sonicated fuel additive mixture from acontinuous mixing tank, which is attached to a positive displacementpump capable of generating pressures in the sonication chamber above 100psi. The continuous mixing tank serves as a vessel for producing saidpre-sonicated fuel additive. Therein, a carrier liquid and oxides areplaced and mixed by conventional mechanical dispersion. The ratio ofoxides to carrier liquid varies along a wide range from 0.1% by weightto approximately 20% by weight. The pre-sonicated fuel additive is thenthe cycled through the sonication chamber until sufficient energy hasbeen imparted to disrupt covalent bonds and van der Waals forces, andother forces, which would tend to cause the suspension particles toagglomerate. In the preferred embodiment, approximately 8,000 Joules ofenergy are imparted per liter of solution at a concentration ofapproximately 5% metallic oxides to carrier liquid.

In employing the fuel additive, a preferred amount to add to the fueltank is from about 0.01% to about 0.5% of the fuel. Preferably, lessthan 0.5% is employed. For example, a vehicle with a 19 gallon tank (72liters) would preferably receive about 6 ml-80 ml of fuel additive madeaccording to the preceding method.

The fuel additive may be used in a method for reducing net operatingcosts of the engine. By employing the additive, improved Fuel Economy ofabout 10 to 30% is demonstrated in diesel and gasoline engines. Use ofthe fuel additive reduces fouling deposits on valves, injectors andspark plugs, extends the interval between oil changes and reduces engineoil contaminates.

The fuel additive may be used in a method of increasing the useful lifeof an engine. In one aspect, the fuel additive adds lubricity to fueland cylinder walls lowering internal friction. In another aspect, itreduces the internal engine stresses by lowering the combustiontemperatures and heat stress and delaying onset of pinging or knocking.The exhaust manifold gas temperatures are lowered by the use of the fueladditive.

The fuel additive may be used in motor vehicle engines and will haveparticular application to the automobile. However, it may also be usedin any engine which utilizes hydrocarbon fuels to provide the same orsimilar advantages such as, without limitation, boilers and shipengines, turbines, fuel oil and coal fired power plants.

Now referring to FIG. 1, a graph showing the effects of using the fueladditive of the invention on emissions and fuel economy is depicted.Carbon Monoxide emission was reduced 83.3%; particulate emissions werereduced 78.3%; Nitrous Oxide emissions (NOx) were reduced 34.9%;hydrocarbon emissions were reduced 26.3%; carbon dioxide emissions werereduced 11.5%; and Fuel Economy improved 11.4%. The formula tested wasthe preferred embodiment described above: 75% zinc oxide, 23% magnesiumoxide and 2% cerium oxide which comprised 18% by weight of theformulation. The balance of the formulation was carrier with PnB being90% thereof and DM 10% thereof.

Now referring to FIG. 2A and 2B, which depict a UIP-1000 device that canbe used to make the subject fuel additive. FIG. 2A being a front viewand FIG. 2B being a side view thereof. Reference numerals shown refer tothe same structure as the numerals used and described with respect toFIGS. 3 and 4.

Now referring to FIG. 3, a flow diagram of the recirculation process andsonication chamber wherein the fuel additive may be made is shown. Amixing tank (310) is used to mix a liquid portion of the invention witha dry portion of the invention. The size of the mixing tank (310) is notcritical, but in one embodiment it has been found that a capacity ofbetween 5 and 10 liters, or about eight liters, may be employed with thesonicating device of FIG. 2A-2B. The pre-sonication process may becarried out by placing the carrier (liquid portion) of the inventioninto the mixing tank (310) and stirring at approximately 50% speed untila vortex develops. The metal oxides (dry portion) of the fuel additivecomposition may be gradually added to the upper edge of the vortex. Oncethe dry portion is fully incorporated, the balance of the liquid portioncan be added to bring the contents of the tank to the desired batchweight. Once all the ingredients have been incorporated, dispersion timeat high speed will be approximately 20 minutes for an 8 liter batch. Thepreferred disperser blade (312) has a blade diameter equal to about30-35% of the mixing tank diameter and placed about one blade radius indistance from bottom of mixing tank (310) and about three blade radii indistance from surface of mixture. The preferred tip speed of thedisperser blade (312) is about 4750 feet/minute, which can be calculatedby multiplying the blade diameter by pi and by the shaft rpm. To obtainthis speed, a motor is needed that can handle about 0.0253 HP for everyone liter of batch volume. Variations on these specifications willimpart the desired properties to the batch. The process can be scaled upor down to impart the desired characteristics to the fuel additive.

The mixing shaft speed is reduced to approximately 50% shaft speed andallowed to circulate the mixture during the sonication process.

Once ingredients are significantly dispersed in mixing tank (310) viamechanical mixing techniques to form a pre-sonication fuel additive,said pre-sonication fuel additive is pumped out of mixing tank (310) bya pump (315) and sent to a sonication chamber (410) where it entersthrough feed one (420). A temperature and pressure gauge (320)preferably is included in the line between pump (315) and sonicationchamber (410) to measure the temperature and pressure of the mixtureprior to entering the sonication chamber (410). The process occurringwithin the sonication chamber (410) is discussed in further detail inFIG. 4. The pump from the tank to the sonication chamber is energized,the water cooling inlet (430) and outlet (435) valves are opened andcontinually adjusted to maintain the pre-sonicated mixture at atemperature below the ‘flash point’ of the carrier component of saidmixture during the sonication procedure. The pressure/flow control valve(360) can be adjusted to produce a pressure of between 2 and 8 bar,preferably between 3 and 3.5 bar.

The ultrasonic generator (340) is energized and the energy meter (342)is used to adjust the output of the generator to impart 0.5 kWh to 2.0kWh of energy per kg of the above mixture. The preferable amount ofenergy is between 1.3 to 1.5 kWh per kg. Variations on thesespecifications will impart the desired properties to the batch. Theoutput from the ultrasonic generator (340) is received by the ultrasonictransducer (450) where the output is converted to an ultrasonic wave orpulse. An amplification horn (350) may be used to amplify the wave orpulse produced by the ultrasonic transducer (450).

After sonication is completed, the pressure/flow control valve (360) isopened and the formed sonicated mixture is released from sonicationchamber (410) where it is returned to the mixing tank (310) or collectedfrom the sonication chamber via outflow means (425). It should be notedthat means (425) can serve either as an inflow means (feed two asexplained below in connection with FIG. 4) or outflow means. Multiplestructures like (425) may be employed and designated for either inflowor outflow to sonication chamber (410). If the sonicated mixture isreturned to mixing tank (310), the sonicated mixture may be retrievedthrough a drain line (not shown) as the fuel additive product, or theprocess may be repeated until all the mixture within the mixing tank hasbeen sonicated.

Now referring to FIG. 4, a diagram of the sonication chamber and thesonication process is depicted. The mixture enters the sonicationchamber (410) by way of feed one (420). An optional feed two (425)allows for the addition of other materials that may be needed before,during, or after the sonication process. Feed two (inflow means) (425)may also be used as an additional feed for the mixture to allowincreased and faster production volume without tampering with theresults of the invention. The sonication chamber (410) can have includeda cooling system, the preferred cooling system a water cooling system.The water cooling system, having a water cooling inlet (430) and a watercooling outlet (435), would perform like a common heat exchanger, mostpreferable like a shell and tube heat exchanger. The cooling system isactivated and continually adjusted to maintain a fluid temperature belowthe ‘flash point’ of the carrier component of said mixture during thesonication procedure. The ultrasonic transducer (450) then transformsthe output received by the ultrasonic generator (340) into ultrasonicwaves or pulses used to emulsify, disperse, extract, homogenize, orperform other sonication practices known in the art. Once completed, thepressure/flow control valve (360) is opened and mixture is releasedthrough sonication chamber exhaust (440). The sonicated mixture isreturned to mixing tank (310) where the finished product may beretrieved or the sonicated mixture may exit the sonication chamber (410)through outflow means (425).

Example 1 Fuel Economy

A series of tests were performed on various gasoline and diesel vehiclesranging in age from model year 1995 to model year 2006. The formula usedin these tests was 75% zinc oxide, 23% magnesium oxide and 2% ceriumoxide which comprised 18% by weight of the formulation. The balance ofthe formulation was carrier with PnB being 90% thereof and DM 10%thereof.

Fuel economy improvements were noted in all vehicles and ranged from an11% to 18% improvement. Improvement was measured on each vehicle by a“with and without test” initially, the vehicle was driven over anapproximately 52 Mile Hwy course at constant speed and the fuelconsumption was measured. The test was then replicated after addition ofthe additive. After addition of the additive the vehicle was drivenapproximately 30 miles, refilled and driven over the above-mentionedcourse. Afterwards, the fuel economy was measured and the percentagechange was recorded. Additionally, many of these vehicles were testedfor changes in emissions characteristics. Emissions were measured beforeand after and the change recorded. In some cases emissions were measuredby the standard dynamometer test used by the state of Texas whenrenewing a vehicle's “safety inspection sticker.” Other vehicles weretested using hand-held exhaust gas analyzers. Most frequently, the model350 from Testo AG Lenzkirch Germany was employed.

Example 2 Wear Metal Content of Oil

Detection of wear metal in oil is indicative of engine wear. (BlackstoneLaboratory, Fort Wayne, Ind.) Engine oil was recovered from vehicles,which had been testing the additive over a period of at least 5000miles. The samples were analyzed and the results compared to knownaverages for such metals in the vehicles being tested. The reduction inwear metal content in the test engines vs. typical engines ranged from16 to 24%.

Example 3 Reduction of Exhaust Emissions (Pollution)

A field test was conducted to determine the effect of the fuel additiveon exhaust emissions. A test was conducted using a chassis dynamometerwith exhaust gas trapping and concentrating equipment and particulatefilters. The test was run using the Euro III testing protocol (EuropeanUnion Directive 98/69/EC Article 2 (2)). The vehicle was a 2006 Nissanpickup with a 21/2 liter diesel engine with a standard emissions controlsystem. The vehicle had approximately 55,000 km of use recorded on theodometer. The test simulated both urban and freeway driving conditions.The standard Euro III algorithms were used to compute a composite value.The results of the test are depicted in FIG. 1 and were as follows:

increase in fuel economy, 11.5%;

reduction in carbon monoxide emissions, 83%:

reduction in combined nitrous oxide emissions, 35%:

reduction in hydrocarbon emissions, 26%:

reduction in particulate emissions, 78%,

1. A fuel additive consisting of a combination of zinc oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 70 to 80% by weight, magnesium oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 10 to 23% by weight, cerium oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight, copper oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight and ferric oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight.
 2. A fuel additiveconsisting of a combination of nanoparticles of zinc, magnesium andcerium oxides in the following proportion by weight: 75%, 23% and 2%. 3.The fuel additive of claim 1, wherein the average particle size of saidnanoparticles is less than 50 nm.
 4. The fuel additive of claim 2,wherein the average particle size of said nanoparticles is less than 50nm.
 5. A method for reducing emissions of pollutants generated from thecombustion of a hydrocarbon fuel, comprising adding to said hydrocarbonfuel a fuel additive, consisting of a combination of zinc oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 70 to 80% by weight, magnesium oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 10 to 23 by weight, cerium oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight, copper oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight and ferric oxidenanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight.
 6. A method forreducing emissions of pollutants generated from the combustion of ahydrocarbon fuel, comprising adding to said hydrocarbon fuel a fueladditive consisting of a combination of nanoparticles of zinc, magnesiumand cerium oxides in the following proportion by weight: 75%, 23% and2%.
 7. A method for improving the fuel economy of hydrocarbon fuelcombusted in an engine, comprising adding to said hydrocarbon fuel afuel additive consisting of a combination of zinc oxide nanoparticles inan amount of 70 to 80% by weight, magnesium oxide nanoparticles in anamount of 10 to 23% by weight, cerium oxide nanoparticles in an amountof 1 to 5% by weight, copper oxide nanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5%by weight and ferric oxide nanoparticles in an amount of 1 to 5% byweight.
 8. A method for improving the fuel economy of hydrocarbon fuelcombusted in an engine, comprising adding to said hydrocarbon fuel afuel additive consisting of a combination of nanoparticles of zinc,magnesium and cerium oxides in the following proportion by weight: 75%,23% and 2%.